The Silver Jubilee flagship annual Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on “Sustainable Development in Unusual Times: Building Forward Better” will kick off here from Monday as Southern version of the Economic Forum.
While explaining highlights of the conference, Executive Director of the SDPI Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said, “This year, the SDC which will continue till 8th December is being hosted along-with the Sixth South and South-West Asia (SSWA) Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Government of Pakistan. This is our version of the World Economic Forum with human, social, economic and environmental dimensions.”
The Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Mr Ahsan Iqbal will inaugurate the conference and the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi will be the chief guest at the closing of the conference. The Under Secretary General of the United Nations and head of UNESCAP Dr. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana will be the chief guest. Deputy Planning Minister of Maldives, MoS Finance of Sri Lanka, and Vice Chair Planning Commission Nepal are also coming to Pakistan for this conference.
The Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rahman, Minister for Poverty Alleviation Ms Shazia Marri, Minister of States Aisha Ghuas Pasha, Romina Khurshid, Shaza Khwaja, and former cabinet members Asad Umar, Dr Moeed Yusuf, Dr Sania Nishtar, and Malik Amin Aslam are among the speakers of the conference.
As many as 350 dignitaries/speakers/experts hailing from the United Nations, the Government, Academia, Civil Society, Media, and Private Sector from across the country and 16 other countries will speak in 11 plenary sessions and 35 panels.—INP
